I have been teaching two young men that I mentor a 5-7 minute lesson on Timothy every week. Today, I have included the first lesson for you and, Lord willing, hope to continue posting these lessons from time to time.
1 Timothy
Chapter 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
An Apostle in the early church meant
someone who had been commissioned by Jesus Christ to spread the Gospel. The
Lord revealed to Ananias, before Paul ever began ministry, that Paul would take
the Gospel to the Gentiles, and testify before Kings and Governors.
Today, some call themselves apostles,
but these are to be discounted—they are prideful and often, if not always,
false prophets seeking to build a name for themselves; not Christ. However, the
gifting of Apostleship still exists, it primarily is seen in those who plant
churches or are on the mission field. The Apostle establishes believers in the
Faith and spreads the Gospel. Paul is the best model of this.
by the commandment of God
Paul was commissioned—commanded—by God
to be an Apostle.
our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which
is our hope;
Jesus
Christ is our Savior, and He gives us hope. Our hope is in our salvation, not
in living by a bunch of rules or being “good Christian people.”
2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith:
Timothy was Paul’s Spiritual son, he
was discpiled by Paul and had been with Paul on his missionary journeys. Now,
though very young, Paul had sent Timothy to pastor the church at Ephesus. And
even though he was very young, Paul gave him what we call, and I exhort you to
live as well, The Timothy Commission:
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be
thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in
spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Tim 4:12 (KJV)
Grace,
mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul has an interesting greeting
here. In ministry school, I learned that Paul has combined Greek (Gentile)
common greetings with the Jewish. The Greek would say to the effect of “grace
be to you” when you met them. The Jew would greet with “mercy and peace be to
you.” In addition, the Jews would talk about God as their Father. The Greeks
(Gentiles) about Christ being their LORD. The unbelieving society understood
what a Lord was and thus they related to Christ as not just their Savior, but
as their Master (lord). The Jews, would remember God being their Father—taking
care of them: providing and protecting them.
In Christ, Paul shows the balance
and unity of the two viewpoints of those who were once without Christ, but are
now one with Him. Grace and Mercy and Peace be to you from God our Father and
our Lord Jesus Christ!
